General Introduction

Zhejiang Province -- "the land of silk" which produces one-third of the country's raw silk, brocade and satin-- lies on the southeastern coast with an area of more than 100,000 square kilometers and a coastline 2,200 kilometers long. It has a population of 38.27 million, of which 3.81 million, or 9.9 per cent of the total, live in the cities. The province is named after its largest river, now known as the Qiantang.